The former Cristiano & Tevez teammate that might go to prison: Charged with theft, fraud and money laundering of cryptocurrency

For most footballers, retiring from sports is what they fear most. Whilst many go into business or stay in sports and continue to do well, others fade into oblivion only for the public to hear terrible news about them later. The former Brazilian midfielder, Anderson seems to have fallen in the latter category. 

One-time Manchester United player, Anderson has been arrested on allegations of theft, fraud and money laundering pertaining to crypto-currency dealings. The midfielder is said to be part of a group of eight people that stole up to R$30m (£4m/$5.5m) from a major Brazilian industrial firm in 2020. The money was allegedly deposited in 11 bank accounts across 4 states in Brazil before being used to purchase cryptocurrencies. 

Anderson was arrested in his Porto Alegre apartment by the Rio Grande do Sul Public Prosecutor's Office in 2020. The ex-footballer who starred for the likes of Gremio, Internacional, and United was arrested with his personal computer seized in the raid. The matter is still under investigation but Anderson's lawyer has denied any wrongdoing on the part of his client. 

The ex-Brazilian international had mixed fortunes in Europe, playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo but never quite hitting the spotlight. He featured 8 times for the Brazilian national team, forming part of the Brazil squad that won the Copa America in 2007. After his spell in Europe, Anderson returned to Brazil to play for Internacional, winning the Gaucho State Championship in 2015 before hanging up his boots.